The Straw Hat Pirates vs the Zanpakuto
by Rico 94
Summary: The zanpakuto are under Muramasa's influence and started rebelling against the Soul Reapers. Along with their rebellion, they targeted the Straw Hats as well. Can the Straw Hats defeat them or is this a battle that they can't finish? New Chapter starting 6/14
1. A New Enemy!

Chapter 1: A New Enemy! The Materialization of the Zanpakuto!

_The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto._

* * *

><p>A strange green light glowed in the water of a cavern as a group of individuals were gathered on the plateau above, waiting for someone to come.<p>

"Hey…" a female voice as the owner jumped off the rock she was sitting on. The owner is a woman with peach-colored skin, turquoise eyes, chin-length maroon hair that styled into two cat ears at the top of head. She has pink fur covering her forearms, pelvis, feet, and upper body, and a tail. "How long are we gonna have to stick around this place anyway? I'm so freaking bored here. I'm going to take a look outside."

"Not a good idea." Another voice said. The owner is a woman with pale white skin, long lavender hair, icy blue eyes, wearing a white kimono with long sleeves, a yellow-green obi around her waist and a large purple bow on her back. "It's too soon. Not everyone has arrived as of yet."

"Everyone who?" The woman with maroon hair questioned. "How many more are coming?"

"Well I can't be sure exactly."

"Who care about our numbers?" A male voice laughed. The owner is a man with long black hair and a red outlined body, wearing dark gray strips of cloths around his neck, shoulder, wrists, and lower body. "In fact, why don't I go out there I handle this myself?"

"Shut up!" Another male said. The owner is a large, muscular man with long orange hair styled into three spikes around his face and beard, wearing a white robe as a skirt. "Rushing into things is foolish."

"You said it." A tiny girl with long brown pigtails wearing yellow and black clothing with a segmented yellow and black stinger on her right arm said. "An impatient man is so unattractive." Then a sound of a door opening was heard following by the sounds of footsteps, catching everyone's attention.

"Welcome back." A little girl with long brown hair and wearing a white kimono said to the figure.

"I have brought us a new friend." The man said as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. He has pale skin, shaggy dark brown hair and wears a long white robe-like coat. "Look after him." The man continued to walk down the stairs as another figure was seen coming down the stairs as well. He is a tall man with an icy blue X mark on his face, gray eyes, long teal-green hair, and wears a pale blue kimono.

"Hey, that guy is pretty good looking." The tiny woman said, looking at the teal-green haired man.

"Be straight with me." The woman with maroon hair said, stopping the man with dark brown hair. "How long we going to be stuck down here waiting?"

"You'll have to bear it longer." The man said. "The rest of our comrade will be joining us very soon. The era of the soul reaper is coming to an end."

* * *

><p>In his inner world, Ichigo lays on one of the buildings asleep.<p>

"Ichigo…" A voice called, echoing through the building. "Can you hear it, Ichigo?"

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around and saw that he is in his inner world. "Hold on…" he said. "Why am I…"

"Ichigo…" the voice said again. Ichigo looked to his left and saw Zangetsu. "Surely, you are able to hear Ichigo."

"What? Your voice?" Ichigo questioned. "Of course, I hear it."

"No Ichigo, that is not what I mean." Zangetsu said.

"Huh?" Ichigo tried to listen for whatever Zangetsu is talking about but heard nothing. "Sorry, I don't hear anything other than you. What are you talking about?"

"Forget about it." Zangetsu said, confusing Ichigo.

"I can't forget about it now!" Ichigo refuted. "Listen old man… Hey… Answer me!"

* * *

><p>"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji stretched his zanpakuto at Byakuya, who blocked the attack with his sword and flash stepped out of the blade's way. Byakuya appeared behind Renji and slashed his sword at Renji. Renji blocked it with his sword and pushed his captain back.<p>

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya's sword dissolved into cherry blossom petals, leaving the sword's hilt in Byakuya's hand. The petals rushed towards Renji, causing the lieutenant to block with his zanpakuto.

"Lieutenant!" one of the squad members shouted as all of Squad 6 watches their captain and lieutenant battle.

"Bankai!" An explosion erupted, causing the pedal-like blades to disperse. The smoke cleared, revealing Renji landing on the ground and holding a huge snake skeleton-like whip. "Hihio Zabimaru!"

Byakuya dropped his sword and it phased the ground. "You haven't forgotten, have you?" he said as countless flying blades surrounds. "When Senbonzakura is controlled directly by my hand, it has twice the speed. Your slow bankai is no match for it. Here I come." As Byakuya prepares to attack, one of the pedal-like blades cut his wrist. Byakuya looked his wrist with widen eyes as Renji prepared to go the offensive. Byakuya turned his attention back to Renji and fired his flying blades at the lieutenant. Renji jumped out of the way and saw the flying blades still coming at him.

"Now, Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji lashed his zanpakuto through the flying blades and fired a blast at Byakuya. Byakuya quickly moved his hand and the flying blades appeared in front of him, blocking the attack.

Renji smirked as he rubbed the sweat off of his face. "Look at that. You used your bankai?" Byakuya closed his eyes as Senbonzakura returned to its sword form.

"Captain, is there something wrong?" Renji asked, walking up to Byakuya.

"No." Byakuya answered.

"Captain?" Then Renji heard someone clapping and saw Captain Kyoraku walked towards the two with Nanao close behind.

"Wow fellas, that was quite the sparring session." Kyoraku said.

"Yes Lieutenant Abrai, your skills have improved." Jushiro said, walking up to the two.

"Have they?" Renji said. "Thank you." He looked at Byakuya, who just turned his back on him. "Captain?"

"That will be all for today." Byakuya said, looking behind his shoulder and sheathing his sword.

"Yes sir." Renji said. "I appreciate the opportunity."

"Byakuya…" Jushiro said, trying to get his fellow captain's attention.

"Please excuse me," said Byakuya as he walks away.

Kyoraku rubbed his chin and said, "I wonder what's eating that guy."

* * *

><p>"Hyorimaru!" Toshiro said as he slashed the air with his sword. The blade of his zanpakuto disappeared with the hilt following suit. Then an ice dragon appeared in front of the Squad 10 captain. Toshiro looked the dragon, noticed something different about it. "What's wrong?"<p>

The dragon didn't respond to the question. Toshiro extended his hand out towards it. As the dragon lowered his head to the captain's hand, it was shattered into pieces. Toshiro watched disappear with widen eyes. He looked down at his hand and saw that he's holding his sword.

"What was that about?" Toshiro asked himself, looking at his sword. "Hyorimaru…"

The sound of a window breaking caught the captain's attention. It was soon followed by Rangiku shouting, "Just come on out already!"

"Rangiku!" Toshiro growled, annoyed with his lieutenant.

* * *

><p>In the captain's office, Rangiku stabbed her zapakuto into the wooden floor in anger.<p>

"Come out here, Haineko!" she shouted irritated. She started looking around the office, trying to her zanpakuto spirit. "Are you seriously ignoring me?! You think that I'll just take this from you?! You better watch yourself!"

Toshiro opened the shoji door to his office and said, "Hey…"

"Are you even listening?!" Rangiku shouted, ignoring her captain. "That's it! I'm mad! You are lazy, moody, and a brat! What a useless zanpakuto! Whoever forged you was…"

"Rangiku!" Toshiro shouted, surprising Rangiku and cutting off. "What's the yelling about?"

"Hey, don't scare me like that." Rangiku said. "I was just having a friendly chat with my zanpakuto."

"That was a chat?!"

"Excuse me?" a voice said from the shoji doors. The doors opened up and revealed Isane and Momo.

"Hello there, Rangiku, Shiro." Momo greeted.

"Momo…Isane…" Rangiku said, happy to see her two friends.

"Why do you always refuse to call me captain?" Toshiro asked, irritated with the nickname Momo gives him.

"What brings you girls around here?" Rangiku asked.

"This does." Momo said, giving Rangiku a piece of paper. "It's a special notice announcing a lieutenants' meeting." She looked at Toshiro. "Is there something wrong, Shiro?"

"You two, don't you have somewhere to be?!" Toshiro said annoyed.

"Rangiku…" Isane said, looking at Rangiku's zanpakuto in the floor. "What were you doing in here?"

"Just talking to my zanpakuto." Rangiku said, annoyed with her zanpakuto. "Our enemies are getting craftier all of the time. So we have to hone our skills too. And yet that silly Haineko, she refuses to manifest. I'm telling you that she could be so lame."

"You really shouldn't bad mouth your zanpakuto like that." Momo said. "You must be more forgiving towards it. When I was at my lowest point, Tobiume was so concerned about me. That's when I realized that I'm never alone."

"So you're telling me you even drive your zanpakuto crazy?" Toshiro questioned.

"Speaking of zanpakuto problems, my Itegumo has also been slow to respond the past two or three days." Isane said.

"Yours too, Isane?!" Rangiku said surprised. Toshiro widen his eyes, hearing Isane's zanpakuto problem.

"Yes, this has never happened before."

"You're lucky that it was just once." Rangiku said. "With Haineko, it has been constant."

"It's the first time. That's what concerns me." Isane added. Wondering what was going on, Toshiro started to walk away.

"Um…Toshiro…" Momo said, trying to get the captain's attention. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" Toshiro responded. "I'm still on duty."

"But we brought over some sweet baked bean deserts we got from Captain Unohana." Momo said.

"Let's take a tea break, Captain." Rangiku said, trying to her captain to stay. "After all, they are your favorite treats."Toshiro ignored the girl's plea and walked out of his office. "Captain?"

* * *

><p>Toshiro walked down the halls of his squad barracks, thinking back to what happened with Hyorimaru.<p>

'So strange…' he thought. 'What does this mean?'

To be continued…

Next Chapter: The Soul Reapers Wiped Out! The Zanpakutos' Sudden Attack!


	2. The Soul Reapers Wiped Out!

Chapter 2: The Soul Reapers Wiped Out! The Zanpakutos' Sudden Attack!

_The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto._

* * *

><p>The sun started to set on the Soul Society as four figures slowly approach the Squad 1 barracks. One of the figures is a tall woman with purple hair styles into two corkscrew pigtails and an eye patch covering her right eye. Two other figures were young boys with silver hair pulled into ponytails. And the last figure was covered in bandages and wearing a long light green hood. The figures stopped their movements, standing in front of the steel with the kanji one written on it.<p>

"Well this is it." The woman with purple hair said. "We've reached our destination."

"Let's get started!" One of the little boys said excitedly. "Come on!"

* * *

><p>Inside the Head Captain's office, Yamamoto was sitting on his desk writing a report until he felt an unfamiliar spiritual pressure.<p>

"Reveal yourself!" He said. The doors open up but nobody walked through them. The Head Captain looked behind his shoulder and saw his lieutenant appear behind him. Chojiro nodded and walked towards the doors.

"Who's out there?" Chojiro demanded, facing the doors. He grabbed the hilt of his zanpakuto in case of an attack. A figure slowly walked through and Yamamoto widens his eyes as if who it is

* * *

><p>The hell-butterflies flew across the seireitei, reaching the barracks of the thirteen court guard squads.<p>

"An urgent summons?" Isane questioned, looking at her captain confused.

* * *

><p><em>In the Squad 7 barracks…<em>

"What could be going at this hour of the night?" Iba asked.

* * *

><p><em>In the Squad 11 barracks…<em>

"What the…" Ikkaku said as he and Yumichika watch the hell-butterfly flew pass them.

* * *

><p><em>In the Squad 6 barracks…<em>

"We're all being summoned?" Renji said confused. He looked over to Byakuya. "Captain!"

* * *

><p>Outside the seireitei, all of the soul reapers that the hell-butterflies reached gathered around, wondering what's going on.<p>

"Yes, I've received the same urgent message." Jushiro said to Komamura. Toshiro appeared with Rangiku behind him, running to Jushiro.

"What did we miss?" Toshiro asked.

"Captain Hitsugaya…" Jushiro said, looking at the young captain.

"Do you have any idea what's going on? Why were we called here?"

"I'm not really sure." Jushiro answered. "I've asked but it seems that nobody knew about this meeting ahead of time. And well…"

"What is it?" Toshiro questioned.

"Is that Rukia?" Rangiku asked, walking towards the short raven-haired girl. "You were summoned too?"

"Yes." Rukia said. "I'm not sure why but I got the call just like the others did."

"Well, it's certainly an interesting group." Shunsui said. He looked over to Ikkaku and Yumichika. "Are you two filling in for Captain Zaraki?"

"We've never the captain's stand-ins before." Ikkaku said. "This is a first."

"Right." Yumichika said. "But at present, our captain and lieutenant are actually away. So he ordered us to stay and listen in, we had no choice."

"Oh yeah, where they run off to?" Shunsui asked.

"Not sure but it happens all of the time though." Yumichika said.

"None of you people why the Head Captain sent for all of us at such an unreasonable hour?" Mayuri exclaimed. The fog around the soul reapers starts to thicken.

"This sucks and this fog is a mess." Renji said.

The fog thickens even more as a figure begins to cross the bridge from the seireitei to where the soul reapers are gathered. The fog started to clear up and the figure appeared the group. They looked behind their shoulders and saw Chojiro, sticking his arm out towards them.

"Lieutenant Sasakibe, what's going on here?" Izuru said. "And where is the Head Captain?" Then Chojiro fell to the ground face-first. Izuru, Momo, and Shuhei quickly ran towards the fallen lieutenant, to check on his condition.

"Whoa, Captain…" Omeda said, looking at Soi Fon.

"Scan the area and remain alert." Soi Fon ordered, grabbing the hilt of her zanpakuto.

"He's in bad shape." Isane said, checking on Chojiro. "He's gone into cardiac arrest."

"Start resuscitation." Unohana ordered.

"I'm afraid the Head Captain won't be joining us tonight." A new voice said, getting everyone's attention. The owner was a man pale skin, shaggy dark brown hair and wears a long white robe-like coat.

"And just who the hell are you?" Toshiro said. The man smirked as Komamura appeared in front him, overshadowing him.

"And how do you know that the Head Captain isn't coming?" Komamura questioned. "We're waiting! What did you do to Head Captain Yamamoto?!" The man didn't respond to the question but kept the smirk on his face. "So you refuse to answer. In that case…" Komamura grabbed the hilt of zanpakuto and took it out of its sheath. "I'll just beat the answer out of you!"

The man jumped back and stuck his hand out, sending a powerful gust of wind towards the Soul Reapers. The Soul Reapers quickly covered his face from the dust being blown at them.

"Well then, this just got way more interesting." Ikkaku said.

"Shall we get involved Ikkaku?" Yumichika suggested.

"Stay back!" Iba shouted, putting his in front of the Squad 11 members. "Can't you see that my captain is fighting him?! Keep out of this or you two are going to get hurt!"

"Bankai! Kokujo Tengen Myo-Oh!" A giant armored shogun appeared behind Captain Komamura. "We demand the Head Captain. Tell us where he is!"

"I should warn you that your feeble attack won't touch me." The man said.

"We'll see!" Komamura said, preparing to attack. The giant shogun raised his sword and began to quickly slash it downwards.

"Behind you!" Jushiro shouted. Komamura looked behind him as the giant's blade lowered at the Squad 7 captain.

"Captain!" Iba shouted, worried about his captain. The smoke started to clear, revealing Komamura slowly getting to his feet.

"That strike! What was that?!" Toshiro shouted in disbelief.

"A zanpakuto attacked its own master?!" Soi Fon said in disbelief. "Impossible."

"What the hell?" Shunsui said confused.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Renji shouted.

"My, my, how interesting." Mayuri said with his usual smile on his face.

Komamura looked up the shogun that just attacked, only to see it exploded. The other soul reapers covered their eyes from the smoke. Komamura looked behind him and saw a large figure in front of him.

"Who are you?" he asked as he got back to his feet. The figure before him was a man with red skin, blue hair, and fire in his eye and mouth. The man glared at the captain as bits of fire came out of his mouth. Komamura widen his eyes, knowing who the figure is. "Tenken! But how…"

Tenken slashed his sword downwards at the captain, who quickly blocked with his own sword. Komamura pushed the man back. The blades on Tenken's rope were lit of fire as he wrapped it around Komamura's arm. Flames wrapped themselves around Tenken's blade as he pulled the captain in with his rope and cut him down. The soul reapers' eyes widen as Komamura slowly falls to the ground.

"How could this…" Komamura said as he collapsed.

"Captain!" Iba shouted as he was about to run to his captain's aid but Yumichika grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Let go of me, Yumichika!"

Toshiro jumped up in the air with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" he shouted, drawing his sword.

Soi Fon quickly drew her sword and said, "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

Toshiro looked at his sword and saw that nothing happened. Tenken lashed his rope at the Squad 10 captain, who quickly flash-stepped out of the way.

"Captain!" Rangiku shouted.

Toshiro looked at his zanpakuto with widen eyes and said, "Shikai doesn't work."

Soi Fon looked at her zanpakuto and said, "You're right."

The lieutenant quickly their zanpakutos, get ready to attack. Renji drew his sword from his sheath and said, "Roar, Zabimaru!" He moved his free hand down the blade but nothing happened.

Rangiku drew her zanpakuto and said, "Growl, Haineko!" Again, nothing happened.

"Extend, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku shouted, connecting the hilt of his sword to his sheath but nothing happened.

"What's wrong with this thing?!" Renji shouted, looking at his zanpakuto. "There's no more spiritual pressure in my zanpakuto!"

"Tobiume, what's wrong?" Momo cried, looking at her zanpakuto.

"Wabisuke?" Izuru said, looking at his zanpakuto.

"You're right." Mayuri said, looking at his zanpakuto. "The spiritual pressure is indeed absent. The question is why."

The man wearing the robe-like coat closed his eyes and said, "It's very simple. You and your precious zanpakuto are no longer united as one." He put his hand closed to face and opened it, facing it toward him. "I freed them, released them from the Soul Reaper's control."

"Freed our zanpakuto?" Isane questioned. She looked at her captain. "Is that possible?"

The man opened his eyes and blood started to come out from the right eye. He moved his right arm to the side, and explosions began erupt from the seireitei.

"What's that?" Rukia questioned, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"What are you trying to pull now, you psycho?!" Renji shouted.

"Oh that wasn't me." The man smirked. "Your own zanpakuto are responsible for this destruction."

"No!" Momo shouted, not believing a single word.

"I'm afraid it's true, dear. They've all been released from the Soul Reapers' control." The man started to laugh manically.

* * *

><p>"What is that?!" One of the soul reapers said as they ran towards the burning building, trying to extinguish the fire.<p>

"Put out the fire! Hurry!" Another soul reaper shouted.

"Hey, there's someone over there!" A third soul reaper said, pointing at a nearby building. "Who is that? An intruder?!"

On the roof of the soul reaper was pointing at was a man with long black hair and a red outlined body, wearing dark gray strips of cloths around his neck, shoulder, wrists, and lower body. He laughed as he jumped down and slashed the soul reapers with his blades. He then threw his weapons at two more soul reapers, piercing them in their chests.

"Too easy!" The man shouted as he picked up at his weapons and started slashing more soul reapers.

"Must he be so barbaric?" A new voice said, getting the soul reapers' attention. They turned around and saw a little girl with long brown hair and wearing a white kimono with a long pink ribbon that has a bell attached on each end. "Good evening." The girl started to spin as her bells are engulfed in flames, launching a fire ball at the soul reapers. "I apologize. But I don't have time to play with all of you." The girl jumped in the air and launched more fireballs at the soul reapers.

"Don't even try." A large, muscular man with long orange hair styled into three spikes around his face and beard said as he pushed several soul reapers back. "You guys don't have a prayer." Then some ice particles flew past his face. He looked behind his shoulder and saw a woman with pale white skin, long lavender hair, wearing a white kimono.

"We've been summoned." The woman said. "Come along." The orange haired man disappeared as a wave of snow engulfed the soul reapers.

* * *

><p>"This was just a preview." The man with the robe-like coat said, wiping the blood from his eye. "A small demonstration so you can begin to comprehend the power of my comrades. And as for the zanpakuto which you foolishly thought you own, cast your eyes on their true form!" Then the same figures that attacked the seireitei appeared behind the man, making the soul reapers widen their eyes.<p>

"Somehow the zanpakuto…managed to manifest themselves." Toshiro said with widen eyes. Then a tall man with an icy blue X mark on his face, gray eyes, long teal-green hair, and wears a pale blue kimono appeared and walked towards the shaggy dark brown haired man.

"That's insane!" Renji shouted. A man with long dark brown hair, wearing an ornate mask and long light purple kimono appeared beside Byakuya and walked towards the man.

A woman with peach-colored skin and chin-length maroon hair that styled into two cat ears at the top of head appeared beside Rangiku and shoved her by the shoulder. "Out of the way!"

"How dare you!" Rangiku shouted angrily. The maroon-hair smirked at Rangiku ran towards brown haired man.

Byakuya walked up in front of the soul reaper group and said, "Enough of this, tell us who you are."

"I am known as Muramasa." The man said. "And this night marks the end of the soul reaper's reign over the zanpakuto. From now on, it will be the zanpakuto who will rule over the soul reapers." A sword appeared in Muramasa's hand. Muramasa twirled his sword and stabbed it into the ground, causing it to rise around him and the other zanpakuto.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Save Rukia! Zoro vs. Sode No Shirayuki!


	3. Zoro vs Sode No Shirayuki!

Chapter 3: Save Rukia! Zoro vs. Sode No Shirayuki!

_The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto._

* * *

><p><em>Tenken slashed his sword downwards at the captain, who quickly blocked with his own sword. Komamura pushed the man back. The blades on Tenken's rope were lit of fire as he wrapped it around Komamura's arm. Flames wrapped themselves around Tenken's blade as he pulled the captain in with his rope and cut him down. The soul reapers' eyes widen as Komamura slowly falls to the ground.<em>

"_I am known as Muramasa." The man said. "And this night marks the end of the soul reaper's reign over the zanpakuto. From now on, it will be the zanpakuto who will rule over the soul reapers."_

* * *

><p>Ichigo flashed stepped through the night skies of Karakura Town as a wave of spirit energy hit the substitute soul reaper.<p>

"Spiritual pressure…" Ichigo said. "But whose is it?" Ichigo landed nearby a lake, looking around for the source of spirit energy but found nothing.

"Hey Ichigo!" A voice called. Ichigo looked at where the voice came from and saw Zoro walking towards him.

"Zoro? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

Before the swordsman could answer, another wave of spiritual pressure erupted again as the two boys looked up at the sky. A senkaimon appeared in the sky and opened up with an unconscious Rukia falling out of it.

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, running toward his friend and catching her before she could hit the ground. "Rukia, are you ok?! Talk to me! What the hell happened?! Who did this?!"

Rukia opened her eyes and saw Ichigo with Zoro behind him. "Good to see you." She said. "No need to worry." Rukia grunted in pain from her injuries.

"How can I not worry?!" Ichigo refuted. "You're all beat up. So how did it happen?!"

Then another senkaimon appeared behind Zoro. Ichigo flash stepped away from the senkaimon as Zoro jumped back. A figure stepped out of the shoji doors as the senkaimon closes and disappears. It was a woman with pale white skin, long lavender hair, wearing a white kimono. The woman stepped on the grass below her and the area around began to freeze in a rapid rate. Ichigo quickly grabbed Zoro and flash stepped out of the area before being frozen themselves.

"Who is that woman?" Zoro asked. "Is she a hollow?"

"She doesn't have a mask or hole." Ichigo said as the woman looked at them.

"You are this town's soul reaper." The woman asked Ichigo. "Is that right?"

"So, who are you?" Ichigo asked. The woman didn't respond but she sends a blast of snow and ice towards Ichigo. Ichigo quickly draws his zanpakuto and fired a blue wave at the blast, easily overpowering it. The woman disappeared from her spot as Ichigo's attack got closer to her. Ichigo looked over towards the bridge and sees the woman on top of one of the pillars.

"I'll take her now." The woman said.

"What's that?!" Ichigo said. He looked down at the injured Rukia then glared at the woman. "I don't know who you are. But you're not taking Rukia!"

"I see now." The woman glared as she appeared next to Ichigo. "You are the substitute soul reaper." Ichigo widen his eyes as he jumped back, away from the woman.

"How is it that you know me?!" Ichigo questioned, preparing to fight.

"Hey Ichigo…" Zoro said, getting Ichigo's attention. The woman looked behind her shoulder and saw Zoro drawing his three swords. "I'll deal with her." He puts Wado in his mouth as he points at the woman with Shusui. "You look after Rukia."

The woman glared at Zoro as her sword appeared in her hand. "Some no Mai…Tsukishiro!" A circle appeared below Zoro. Zoro quickly jumped out of the circle as a tower of ice appeared and was quickly shattered.

Ichigo looked at the falling ice tower with widen eyes, knowing what that attack was. "Wait, that was…"

The woman points her sword at Zoro. "Tsugi no Mai…Hakuren!" A powerful blast of snow and ice fired at Zoro from the tip of the woman's sword.

"Damn! Three Sword Style: 108 Caliber Phoenix!" Zoro fired a huge projectile at the woman's attack, causing both of them to collide and cancel each other out. Zoro charged towards the woman, ready to strike. "Oni Giri!" Zoro ran through the woman, slashing her with his swords.

The woman's body started to crack and shatter into pieces. Zoro looked in front of him and saw the real woman, unaffected by his attack.

"Who the hell are you?!" Ichigo questioned. "Tsukishiro and Hakuren are Rukia's techniques."

"Yes, this makes them my techniques as well." The woman said.

"Say what?" The woman blew a mist of snow in Zoro and Ichigo's faces, blinding them. A senkaimon appeared behind her and she passed through it.

"Wait! Damn!" Zoro cursed as the senkaimon disappeared.

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted. "I know you're in bad shape but who was that woman?" Rukia winced in pain, trying to move head.

"She's Sode no Shirayuki." Rukia said weakly, looking at Ichigo. "She's my zanpakuto."

"She's what?" Zoro said, sheathing his swords. Rukia tried to explain what happened but lost consciousness.

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, trying to wake his friend up. "Rukia!"

To be continued...

Next Chapter: Vanishing Point! Byakuya Disappears!


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